Crystal (Kleitsch) Trotter (’18)
Business Management
Chicago, Illinois
When Crystal Trotter (’18) attended the ‘Iowa Private College Week’ during her senior year of high school, she didn’t know much about 91ÇÑ×Ó, or the city of Dubuque. But after visiting the campus, she realized Loras was her top pick. For the next four years, Loras is where Crystal immersed herself in business studies and service opportunities, setting the stage for her future success at an international social media company. Her achievements and ability to look at life through different lenses make Crystal our June 2024 Duhawk Dozen.
As soon as Crystal arrived at Loras, she dove right into campus life. She was a tour guide, introducing prospective students to the campus she grew to love, and she participated in the Dance Marathon all four years. Crystal was also a service trip coordinator for two years, giving her valuable leadership experience and more exposure to the Spiritual Life office where she learned some of the most important lessons of her life thus far. “These experiences helped form my values and where I wanted to be as a Catholic and adult. Everyone goes through ups and downs in their faith, but Loras really helped shine what I wanted and needed. I cannot thank the campus ministry and spiritual life program enough at Loras because I met some of my best friends from there.”
Though passionate about service, Crystal always knew she wanted a career in business. She declared a business management major early on. “There are stories of when I was younger, I would go to my grandma’s house and pretend I was talking to clients. It’s just always been my trajectory.” Eager to gain relevant experience, Crystal participated in the Dubuque Chamber of Commerce Leadership Academy program. While in school, she also worked at Dupaco Community Credit Union, taking on five different roles to build her skills.
After graduating from 91ÇÑ×Ó and continuing to grow within her role at Dupaco, Crystal’s career took a significant leap forward when she joined LinkedIn, located in Chicago, Illinois. “When I onboarded, I found out that I was one of only 0.04% of applicants accepted. That was really impactful.” Now, Crystal serves as a Global Scaled Customer Success Manager in LinkedIn’s Sales Solutions department. “I am still having pinch-me moments of LinkedIn; it is such a fun place to work.”
Crystal’s drive, diverse experiences, and willingness to get involved make her an exemplary Duhawk, demonstrating the powerful pairing of curiosity and hard work. Congratulations to the June 2024 Duhawk Dozen honoree!
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